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Build Global Partnerships

Arresting and reversing the decline of bats requires an integrated global effort, that not only includes those directly involved in bat education, conservation and research, but also governmental organizations as well as more diverse NGOs that will bring new sets of skills to the challenges we face for bat conservation . In Latin America BCI has forged partnerships with individuals and organizations at the local, country, and regional level, including building a strong association with the Latin American Bat Conservation Network (Red Latinoamericana para la Conservación de los Murciélagos - RELCOM).

RELCOM is a regional network of 22 country-level programs committed to ensuring healthy and viable bat populations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The network seeks to halt the loss of species and populations of bats and works toward a day when bats are appreciated, recognized, respected and preserved in every country across the region.

Pictured are leaders from 18 of RELCOM's country programs, along with BCI's Global Programs Coordinator, at the annual RELCOM meeting Villa de Leyva, Colombia in December 2012.

RELCOM's actions are encompassed in three objectives:

Promote and stimulate critical research to increase scientific knowledge that contributes to bat conservation and protection of bat habitat

Educate local people at all levels of society about bats and encourage their involvement in conservation by changing their attitudes and behavior about these important animals

Implement and advocate policies and actions for the protection of bat species and populations throughout the region

In 2011, RELCOM launched an initiative to identify and design conservation measures for the most important areas and sites for bats throughout the region (AICOMs & SICOMs). This program integrates with BCI's push to sustainably conserve the world's Significant Bat Areas, and it presents numerous opportunities for expanded collaboration and long-term engagement.

BCI is working to expand and strengthen our partnerships in Latin America and beyond with the long-term goal of building a unified global bat federation.

Click on the logos below for more information about each RELCOM country program (PCM):

RELCOM

RELCOM works to guarantee the persistence of bats species and healthy and viable populations of bats in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Argentina

The Program for Bat Conservation in Argentina (PCMA) is composed of researchers, students, and community members, and it was founded with the objective of working to protect and preserve bats. The program operates in the following areas: Research, Conservation and Management, and Outreach and Education.

ABC Islands

The Program for Bat Conservation in the ABC Islands (PCMABC) is guided by the “Bat Research and Conservation Plan for the ABC Islands”, which has eight components: baseline research on bats and caves, monitoring bat colonies, management and protection of diurnal refuges, legislation, education, and the creation of the world’s 1st symposium on Leptonycteris.

Bolivia

The Program for Bat Conservation in Bolivia (PCMB) seeks to promote the conservation of Bolivian bats and their ecosystems through education and research activities to guarantee the maintenance of biological processes that will benefit humans and nature.

Brazil

The Program for Bat Conservation in Brazil (PCMBr) was founded by researchers and their students from various Brazilian regions who have developed environmental education activities about bats to encourage positive attitudes and promote conservation messages, including the annual Bats Festival in Manaus.

Chile

The Program for Bat Conservation in Chile (PCMCh) was created in response to concerns about the status of the populations and biodiversity of bats in Chile, and it seeks to contribute to the conservation of this important group of animals, both for humans and for the environment in general.

Colombia

The Program for Bat Conservation in Colombia (PCMCo) leads and supports local and regional conservation initiatives throughout the country, including educational events, training courses, and on-the-ground projects in important hotspots for bat conservation.

Costa Rica

The Program for Bat Conservation in Costa Rica (PCMCR) uses research and education to achieve its objectives of reducing the risk of bat-species extinctions and establishing a positive image of bats, in a country where deforestation and a poorly-informed general public are major threats.

Cuba

The Program for Bat Conservation in Cuba (PCMCu) works through research and educational campaigns to accomplish its primary goals of increasing knowledge of the biology of Cuban bats and educating the Cuban people on the ecological importance, diversity, and need to protect bats.

Ecuador

The Program for Bat Conservation in Ecuador (PCME) seeks to raise public awareness of the importance of bats in ecosystems and the environmental services they provide in order to successfully implement conservation strategies protecting areas, species, and populations that face serious threats.

El Salvador

The Program for Bat Conservation in El Salvador (PCMES) consists of conservation professionals and students focused on achieving the following objectives for the country’s bats: increasing scientific understanding, recovering species and populations, and preserving habitat.

Guatemala

The Program for Bat Conservation in Guatemala (PCMG) was founded in 2002, and since then has been driving research, educational activities, and conservation efforts through students and professional initiatives.

Honduras

The Program for Bat Conservation in Honduras (PCMH) was founded to improve the conservation of bats through research and conservation actions, and is comprised of biologists, students, teachers, state employees, NGOs, and volunteers from different parts of the country.

Mexico

The Program for Bat Conservation in Mexico (PCMM) was the keystone for the creation of RELCOM. The PCMM works on a three-pronged strategy of research, education, and conservation actions to ensure effective recovery and preservation of bats across Mexico, focusing on migratory, endemic, and threatened species and work on their ecology and natural history.

Nicaragua

The Program for Bat Conservation in Nicaragua (PCMN) seeks to be a group composed of all Nicaraguans who are interested in involvement with bat conservation and who wish to promote the conservation of bats and their ecosystems through education, conservation, and research.

Paraguay

The Program for Bat Conservation in Paraguay (PCMPy) is composed of researchers, students, and other members of society whose interest is to preserve Paraguay’s bat species and disseminate knowledge about them with the goal of changing widespread negative perceptions about bats.

Peru

The Program for Bat Conservation in Peru (PCMP) was founded by a group of students and researchers with the main objective protect habitats and roosts through education, research, and conservation actions.

Puerto Rico

The Program for Bat Conservation in Puerto Rico (PCMPR) was organized with the objective of protecting bats by developing public awareness about the role of bats in ecosystems, and educating about the facts and myths that surround these fascinating mammals.

Trinidad & Tobago

The Program for Bat Conservation in Trinidad & Tobago (PCMTT) joined RELCOM in 2013, becoming the network’s 20th country member. By raising public and government awareness about the importance of bats, the PCMTT hopes to engage students, conservationists, and other supporters in its many projects, including island-wide bat surveys.

Uruguay

The mission of the Program for Bat Conservation in Uruguay (PCMU) is to educate and raise awareness in society about the importance of bats and generate knowledge about their diversity and ecology.

Venezuela

The Program for Bat Conservation in Venezuela (PCMV) has members that are actively involved in various research, education, and conservation practices. The PCMV concentrates its efforts on bat conservation addressing three threats: habitat loss, disturbance and destruction of caves, and abuse of toxic substances.

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Our mission is to conserve the world’s bats and their ecosystems to ensure a healthy planet.